Saint \Saint\ (s[=a]nt), n. [F., fr. L. sanctus sacred, properly
p. p. of sancire to render sacred by a religious act, to
appoint as sacred; akin to sacer sacred. Cf. Sacred,
Sanctity, Sanctum, Sanctus.]
1. A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent
for piety and virtue; any true Christian, as being
redeemed and consecrated to God.
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Them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to
be saints. --1 Cor. i. 2.
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2. One of the blessed in heaven.
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Then shall thy saints, unmixed, and from the impure
Far separate, circling thy holy mount,
Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing. --Milton.
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3. (Eccl.) One canonized by the church. [Abbrev. St.]
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Saint Andrew's cross.
(a) A cross shaped like the letter X. See Illust. 4, under
Cross.
(b) (Bot.) A low North American shrub (Ascyrum
Crux-Andreae, the petals of which have the form of a
Saint Andrew's cross. --Gray.
Saint Anthony's cross, a T-shaped cross. See Illust. 6,
under Cross.
Saint Anthony's fire, the erysipelas; -- popularly so
called because it was supposed to have been cured by the
intercession of Saint Anthony.
Saint Anthony's nut (Bot.), the groundnut (Bunium
flexuosum); -- so called because swine feed on it, and
St. Anthony was once a swineherd. --Dr. Prior.
Saint Anthony's turnip (Bot.), the bulbous crowfoot, a
favorite food of swine. --Dr. Prior.
Saint Barnaby's thistle (Bot.), a kind of knapweed
(Centaurea solstitialis) flowering on St. Barnabas's
Day, June 11th. --Dr. Prior.
Saint Bernard (Zool.), a breed of large, handsome dogs
celebrated for strength and sagacity, formerly bred
chiefly at the Hospice of St. Bernard in Switzerland, but
now common in Europe and America. There are two races, the
smooth-haired and the rough-haired. See Illust. under
Dog.
Saint Catharine's flower (Bot.), the plant love-in-a-mist.
See under Love.
Saint Cuthbert's beads (Paleon.), the fossil joints of
crinoid stems.
Saint Dabeoc's heath (Bot.), a heatherlike plant (Daboecia
polifolia), named from an Irish saint.
Saint Distaff's Day. See under Distaff.
Saint Elmo's fire, a luminous, flamelike appearance,
sometimes seen in dark, tempestuous nights, at some
prominent point on a ship, particularly at the masthead
and the yardarms. It has also been observed on land, and
is due to the discharge of electricity from elevated or
pointed objects. A single flame is called a Helena, or a
Corposant; a double, or twin, flame is called a Castor
and Pollux, or a double Corposant. It takes its name
from St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors.
Saint George's cross (Her.), a Greek cross gules upon a
field argent, the field being represented by a narrow
fimbriation in the ensign, or union jack, of Great
Britain.
Saint George's ensign, a red cross on a white field with a
union jack in the upper corner next the mast. It is the
distinguishing badge of ships of the royal navy of
England; -- called also the white ensign. --Brande & C.
Saint George's flag, a smaller flag resembling the ensign,
but without the union jack; used as the sign of the
presence and command of an admiral. [Eng.] --Brande & C.
Saint Gobain glass (Chem.), a fine variety of soda-lime
plate glass, so called from St. Gobain in France, where it
was manufactured.
Saint Ignatius's bean (Bot.), the seed of a tree of the
Philippines (Strychnos Ignatia), of properties similar
to the nux vomica.
Saint James's shell (Zool.), a pecten (Vola Jacobaeus)
worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land. See Illust. under
Scallop.
Saint James's-wort (Bot.), a kind of ragwort (Senecio
Jacobaea).
Saint John's bread. (Bot.) See Carob.
Saint John's-wort (Bot.), any plant of the genus
Hypericum, most species of which have yellow flowers; --
called also John's-wort.
Saint Leger, the name of a race for three-year-old horses
run annually in September at Doncaster, England; --
instituted in 1776 by Col. St. Leger.
Saint Martin's herb (Bot.), a small tropical American
violaceous plant (Sauvagesia erecta). It is very
mucilaginous and is used in medicine.
Saint Martin's summer, a season of mild, damp weather
frequently prevailing during late autumn in England and
the Mediterranean countries; -- so called from St.
Martin's Festival, occurring on November 11. It
corresponds to the Indian summer in America. --Shak.
--Whittier.
Saint Patrick's cross. See Illust. 4, under Cross.
Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th of March, anniversary of the
death (about 466) of St. Patrick, the apostle and patron
saint of Ireland.
Saint Peter's fish. (Zool.) See John Dory, under John.
Saint Peter's-wort (Bot.), a name of several plants, as
Hypericum Ascyron, Hypericum quadrangulum, Ascyrum
stans, etc.
Saint Peter's wreath (Bot.), a shrubby kind of Spiraea
(Spiraea hypericifolia), having long slender branches
covered with clusters of small white blossoms in spring.
Saint's bell. See Sanctus bell, under Sanctus.
Saint Vitus's dance (Med.), chorea; -- so called from the
supposed cures wrought on intercession to this saint.
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Star \Star\ (st[aum]r), n. [OE. sterre, AS. steorra; akin to
OFries. stera, OS. sterro, D. ster, OHG. sterno, sterro, G.
stern, Icel. stjarna, Sw. stjerna, Dan. stierne, Goth.
sta['i]rn[=o], Armor. & Corn. steren, L. stella, Gr. 'asth`r,
'a`stron, Skr. star; perhaps from a root meaning, to scatter,
Skr. st[.r], L. sternere (cf. Stratum), and originally
applied to the stars as being strewn over the sky, or as
being scatterers or spreaders of light. [root]296. Cf.
Aster, Asteroid, Constellation, Disaster, Stellar.]
1. One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the
heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon,
comets, and nebulae.
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His eyen twinkled in his head aright,
As do the stars in the frosty night. --Chaucer.
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Note: The stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed
stars. See Planet, Fixed stars under Fixed, and
Magnitude of a star under Magnitude.
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2. The polestar; the north star. --Shak.
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3. (Astrol.) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny;
(usually pl.) a configuration of the planets, supposed to
influence fortune.
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O malignant and ill-brooding stars. --Shak.
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Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury. --Addison.
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4. That which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament
worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor.
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On whom . . .
Lavish Honor showered all her stars. --Tennyson.
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5. Specifically, a radiated mark in writing or printing; an
asterisk [thus, *]; -- used as a reference to a note, or
to fill a blank where something is omitted, etc.
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6. (Pyrotechny) A composition of combustible matter used in
the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding
in the air, presents a starlike appearance.
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7. A person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially
on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading
theatrical performer, etc.
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Note: Star is used in the formation of compound words
generally of obvious signification; as, star-aspiring,
star-bespangled, star-bestudded, star-blasting,
star-bright, star-crowned, star-directed, star-eyed,
star-headed, star-paved, star-roofed, star-sprinkled,
star-wreathed.
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Blazing star, Double star, Multiple star, Shooting
star, etc. See under Blazing, Double, etc.
Nebulous star (Astron.), a small well-defined circular
nebula, having a bright nucleus at its center like a star.
Star anise (Bot.), any plant of the genus Illicium; -- so
called from its star-shaped capsules.
Star apple (Bot.), a tropical American tree (Chrysophyllum
Cainito), having a milky juice and oblong leaves with a
silky-golden pubescence beneath. It bears an applelike
fruit, the carpels of which present a starlike figure when
cut across. The name is extended to the whole genus of
about sixty species, and the natural order (Sapotaceae)
to which it belongs is called the Star-apple family.
Star conner, one who cons, or studies, the stars; an
astronomer or an astrologer. --Gascoigne.
Star coral (Zool.), any one of numerous species of stony
corals belonging to Astraea, Orbicella, and allied
genera, in which the calicles are round or polygonal and
contain conspicuous radiating septa.
Star cucumber. (Bot.) See under Cucumber.
Star flower. (Bot.)
(a) A plant of the genus Ornithogalum;
star-of-Bethlehem.
(b) See Starwort
(b) .
(c) An American plant of the genus Trientalis
(Trientalis Americana). --Gray.
Star fort (Fort.), a fort surrounded on the exterior with
projecting angles; -- whence the name.
Star gauge (Ordnance), a long rod, with adjustable points
projecting radially at its end, for measuring the size of
different parts of the bore of a gun.
Star grass. (Bot.)
(a) A small grasslike plant (Hypoxis erecta) having
star-shaped yellow flowers.
(b) The colicroot. See Colicroot.
Star hyacinth (Bot.), a bulbous plant of the genus Scilla
(Scilla autumnalis); -- called also star-headed
hyacinth.
Star jelly (Bot.), any one of several gelatinous plants
(Nostoc commune, Nostoc edule, etc.). See Nostoc.
Star lizard. (Zool.) Same as Stellion.
Star-of-Bethlehem (Bot.), a bulbous liliaceous plant
(Ornithogalum umbellatum) having a small white starlike
flower.
Star-of-the-earth (Bot.), a plant of the genus Plantago
(Plantago coronopus), growing upon the seashore.
Star polygon (Geom.), a polygon whose sides cut each other
so as to form a star-shaped figure.
Stars and Stripes, a popular name for the flag of the
United States, which consists of thirteen horizontal
stripes, alternately red and white, and a union having, in
a blue field, white stars to represent the several States,
one for each.
With the old flag, the true American flag, the
Eagle, and the Stars and Stripes, waving over the
chamber in which we sit. --D. Webster.
Star showers. See Shooting star, under Shooting.
Star thistle (Bot.), an annual composite plant (Centaurea
solstitialis) having the involucre armed with stout
radiating spines.
Star wheel (Mach.), a star-shaped disk, used as a kind of
ratchet wheel, in repeating watches and the feed motions
of some machines.
Star worm (Zool.), a gephyrean.
Temporary star (Astron.), a star which appears suddenly,
shines for a period, and then nearly or quite disappears.
These stars were supposed by some astronomers to be
variable stars of long and undetermined periods. More
recently, variations star in start intensity are
classified more specifically, and this term is now
obsolescent. See also nova. [Obsolescent]
Variable star (Astron.), a star whose brilliancy varies
periodically, generally with regularity, but sometimes
irregularly; -- called periodical star when its changes
occur at fixed periods.
Water star grass (Bot.), an aquatic plant (Schollera
graminea) with small yellow starlike blossoms.
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